On the other hand this interdenominational group all love Jesus and believe He is the only way to Salvation. With this spirit, is it any wonder people are being saved, giving their life to missions, and working to get the Bible back into our schools.?

The same reputation as the early New Testament Church had, i.e." my how they love one another"is growing in this nation wide effort.

All of us should pray for and learn from these folks, how to maintain our own doctrine, and at the same time make the main thing the main thing, as one of our great preachers once said.

Please pray and promote these folks as they are in your area.

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, are doing a great work. As another of our men of God said, "find out what God is doing and join him."As 2nd Vice President of The Southern Baptist Convention I am going to do all I can to lead our denomination into this kind of revival and unity.

I have been a Southern Baptist pastor for more than 40 years and will probably be a Southern Baptist when Jesus takes me home, but I confess to God before all men that I have been too narrow. He has forgiven me and I hope all my brothers and sisters from all denominations will find it in their heart to also forgive me for being so Southern Baptist that I was unkind, and thinking we have the only answer.

I'm not going to change in many ways but God has made me realize that I need to seek that New Testament type unity."

Pastor Wiley

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Well said Wiley. The IMB is to be commended for their creative efforts in reaching young people with the exciting opportunities in mission work around the world.

Have a great Lord's Day everyone.

Feel free to comment, but I've answered my share of questions this weekend and I do not intend to dialogue in the comment section this week.

Frankly, I was surprised when I read the post and specifically the comments from Wiley Drake that there were no post here (with the exception of Dorcas) about that.For me, I thought it was powerful.Just as God shows us in the book of Joshua the magnitude of "sin in the camp," I believe an attitude of repentance by one person can be equally infecting and it gives me great hope. I thank God for men like Wiley Drake and his humility.This may just be the beginning of something very spiritually significant to us all. Selah

I don't know all the ends and outs of why Paige Patterson is getting his share of knocks, and I don't really want to know, but I want everyone to know that he preached from Rev. 12 this morning in our Church (Two Rivers - Nashville), and was absolutely, incredibly, fantastic. I guess because I am one, but I am praising the Lord for the old timers, and gray hair, and sometimes they bring a little wisdom.

Wade, Wiley Drake said, “All of us should pray for and learn from these folks, how to maintain our own doctrine, and at the same time make the main thing the main thing…”

That reminds me of a letter printed by the Baptist Standard on November 18, 2002, written by Gary Morgan of Waxahachie, TX: "Christianity always has faced two great enemies--fundamentalism and liberalism.__Fundamentalism creates systems, makes rules and enforces dogma. It leads people to believe that so long as they follow its precepts they are right with God. It becomes a substitute for Christ.___Liberalism denies the possibility of ultimate truth and encourages people to manufacture their own truth and create God in their own image. It causes people to deny Christ and embrace a god of their own making. Those who truly know the heart of God resist these errors by honoring God’s word, loving God and each other, and joining together to work for the cause of Christ despite their differences. They have “kept the main thing the main thing.”Rex Ray

I can't believe that "truthofacts" is so messed up on his definition of "fundamentalism." What he writes is so far from the truth that it is pathetic. I am a fundamentalist and his definition is foreign to me.

The term "fundamentalism" has been hijacked and ever since the 1920s has taken on a pejorative connotation.

At least originally, "Fundamentalism" was ascribed to people who held to the basic tenants of Christianity as documented in the series of books that were published at the beginning of the 20th Century by the Los Angeles Bible Institute [later known as BIOLA].

I have a reprint of those books.

I consider myself a "fundamentalist" based upon the original meaning of the term.

"The Fundamentals" were written to counter the rise of liberalism in the early 20th century.

To find out what "fundamentalism" REALLY is find these books on Amazon and order them. The reprint which came out around 10 years ago consists of 4 volumes.

I am BLOWN away by this statement by pastor Wiley. Finally, someone from the "good ole southern baptist boys club," gets real. I read your blog almost daily, and the wisdom you present as a pastor is insightful. I am a Baptist woman, and I appreciate your honesty about some of the "elephants in the room," as far as the Southern Baptist Convention and Churches are concerned.

I grew up in a non-denominational church. It was basically a Southern Baptist Church which spoke in tounges according to the scriptures three times a year and we had communion every Sunday. I participated in many activities at the local baptist church as a teenager. The small town baptist church was awesome and I was hungry for MORE than I was getting in Sunday school at my home church. My father, a deacon and a member of the elder body, always encouraged me to go where I was fed, as long the teachings followed Jesus Christ. This being the case, I attended Sunday School and worship at my home church and I attended youth group, Bible study, Falls Creek, and many other things at the Baptist church.

My father always said that in the "great commision," he had a hard time finding the words Southern Baptist anywhere in the text. What made the narrowmindedness of the Southern Baptist Convention more real to me was as an adult I married a "Baptist Boy" who felt called to be a youth paster and I was to serve along him as a youth minister's wife. I was jazzed about teaching Sunday School, youth, choir, and maybe having the opportunity to serve in the church. But oh my goodness I hit a snag. I was not baptisted in a Southern Baptist church and I was told that I could not join this church that my new husband was called to unless I was re-baptised and in no way could I serve in any capacity in a Southern Baptist church because they were not sure of my salvation experience. Now hold on here my salvation experience was in line with the 67'BFM, and no matter how much I explained this to the pastor of this church, I was told "NO!" So after much prayer I decided that my serving God's calling was more important than my pride and I was re-baptised. My ever supporting father (who is a rockin' Christian) hugged me and asked me if I had recieved my official Baptist card after I was re-baptised. That comment hurt.

I am giving you this background to make a point that I think Pastor Wiley has made so eloquently in his statement.

Eight years later, When I stumbled onto your blog and watched some of the news coverage I had to chuckle to myself in disgust. When I am witnessing to young people I am checking their hearts, not to see if they are carring an official "Baptist card."

To pastor Wiley, I encountered so many people in the baptist church like you, that it made me sick and embarrassed! So from a person who was made to feel like my salvation experience was meaningless, by the baptist church. I realized God's call was greater in my life than denominational lines. I have spent many years praying for closure, and some clarity as to why I suffered at the hand of the "good ole southern baptist boys club," I accept your apology.......it was long overdue.

Melanie,Your letter touched my heart, and I’m sorry my Baptist brothers in their ignorance have caused you much pain. Your story illustrates the difference of what ‘fundamentalism’ used to be and what it is today. Roger Simpson wrote that fundamentalism has been hijacked since the 1920s.

Russell Dilday was president of SWBTS from 1978-1994. That’s 16 years of experience with fundamentalists. He wrote in the introduction of his book: “In the light of recent world events swirling around Islamic extremists, the term “fundamentalism” has become a household word with negative connotations. A fundamentalist is one with extremist, fanatical views. Convinced that their position is the only right one, fundamentalists are confrontational and argumentative, demonizing anyone who differs. Reflecting a hidden insecurity, fundamentalists try to control others, forcing them into conformity. In furthering their cause, the end often justifies the means. At one time among Baptists the term had a positive implication. A fundamentalist was someone committed to the fundamentals of the faith. But today, the term “fundamentalism” suggests a mind-set that is narrow, self-righteous, smug, judgmental, rigid, angry, combative, negative, critical, sanctimonious, and hypocritical. Whether it is political fundamentalism or philosophical fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalism or Baptist fundamentalism, these same characteristics will likely be shared. In the effort to defend SWBTS, I encountered firsthand that attitude, the politics, the disregard for Baptist principles, the exaggerations, the misinterpretation of the Bible, and other evils of Baptist fundamentalism.”Rex Ray

Dr. Wiley Drake,Thank you for your confession that you have been too narrow and that God has forgiven you for being so Southern Baptist that you were unkind and for thinking we have the only answer. You said you were not going to change in many ways but that we need New Testament type unity. I am glad for your confession but I am not sure what you are confessing to, especially since you say you are not going to change in many ways. You said a couple of years ago at the convention that some golden parachute liberals are still around and are trying to influence the convention in covert ways. You also said that there were still liberals who were wolves in sheep clothing in our convention and described them as Southern Baptist terrorist. Do you intend to still use this kind of language against other Southern Baptists? If so, who are they and what are they doing. Name some names so we will know what you are talking about. In you interview with Micah Fries after your election as 2VP you said that 30 years ago when you were a student at SWBTS you were made to feel like an outcast because you believed in the inerrancy of the Bible and that Adam and Eve were people. I was at SWBTS 30 years ago and I believed in inerrancy of scripture and that Adam and Eve were actual people but I did not feel like an outcast. In fact just the opposite is true. If anyone was teaching that the Bible was not true and that Adam and Eve were not people I believe they would have felt like an out cast. Do you realize what an insult your statements are to the faculty and students at SWBTS during that period.I have always wondered why you have been so quick to attack Southern Baptists you label as liberals but had not problem working with and giving your name to Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s organization when you knew he taught that Jesus Christ was a failure and that Moon was in fact the true messiah. There is something inconsistent there.I trust you have truly repented of some of your past actions against those who opposed the carnal political activity in our convention and your use of labels and this is part of your confession. If so, all is forgiven.

I don't want to interrupt a blog on unity but I just discovered informed M's disagreement with the statements Wade and I made in defense of MLC and Curtis Sergeant on the long any question you want to ask subject. The blog had gotten so long I am afraid he will not have a chance to read my response. It is the number 233 response and I would like to hear from informed M so he can inform me.Ron West

Just a comment, thanking you for both your courage (to open your blog to any question - frivilous to serious, short or extremely long, theological or political) and your transparency. I have read each of your blogs since December. I cannot recall where you have attacked any person, only concepts. I wish that each person who calls Jesus as Lord, could interact with all of the diverse people we meet daily with your attitude.

It is my prayer that we have more who model transparency and graciousness in leadership within the SBC.

I believe comments of one post should stand on its on words, and a ‘mystery’ should not be solved on the 237 comment of another post.With that said, here is what happened on this post:1. I asked a question with the second comment on this post of why the cutoff day for asking questions was changed from Sunday to Saturday.2. You deleted the question, but answered it, BUT referenced Irreverend Fox’s name instead of mine.3. Grosey asked a question.4. I asked if you answer his, would you answer mine about Fox’s name.5. Grosey’s question was deleted and he was told nicely to ask it on the ‘question and answer’ post.6. My question was deleted and I was told to comment only on the post.7. Grosey and I asked our questions again on the question and answer post.8. On the 237 comment, you explained: “Rex, you are one persistent person. I explained why, but unfortunately put Irreverend’s name on the comment and not yours. Sorry. Here is the explanation again, with the right name. Rex, you deserve an explanation. The Lord’s work at Emmanuel is particularly tiring this Sunday. Three services, a luncheon, deacon’s meeting and preparations for a mission trip to Niger, Africa. No time for any questions. Thanks, though for your interest."